Event Description:Beth Ford, Land O'Lakes President and CEOAs one of only 25 women leading a Fortune 500 company, Beth Ford has cracked the glass ceiling while bringing significant performance growth to the dairy and pet food brands within agribusiness giant Land O’Lakes. Ford will talk about Land O’Lakes’ leaps in sustainability and its use of artificial intelligence for supply-chain management, big data, automation and food safety, among other topics.

The James C. Snyder Memorial Lecture is the Department of Agricultural Economics’ signature event at Purdue University. The lectures were established in February 1975 as an appropriate memorial to a distinguished member of the faculty. Funds are contributed by friends and corporations who wish to encourage the continuation of Jim Snyder’s professional efforts during his brief but brilliant career. As a highlight, a top professional in agricultural business and economics, or related areas, is brought to the campus to give a lecture and interact with staff and students. The Memorial Lecture, of general interest to all Department professional staff and students, is the high point of the visit. The lecture is open to the public with selected professionals invited as special guests.​